Object Of Desire: The Life Of Fabio Lanzoni

By Jon Brooks, March 31, 2018

ADVERTISEMENT

Strong Start

Fabio Lanzoni’s career got off to a really good start. In fact, he was just 19 years old when he first landed a modeling gig in the U.S. He came to New York to pursue his dream of modeling and acting and almost immediately became the male model that symbolized the Gap brand. He earned $150,000 for his work with Gap.

What A Salesman

Fabio was most known in the 1980s and 90s for being the model for hundreds of romance novels. It was no coincidence that Fabio appeared on the cover of so many books. When he went to a modeling industry party, one of the publishing executives in attendance told him that whenever he was on the cover of a romance novel, sales spiked much higher.

Fabio’s One True Love

They say that most people have one true love, and if it happens at the wrong time, your soul mate could be lost forever. Fabio seems to believe this, as he met a 19-year-old named Jennifer when he was 23 that he dated for six years. Unfortunately, Fabio admits he was young and wild at the time and broke it off, only to end up regretting the decision later.

Won’t Degrade Himself

From Celebrity Boxing to any other number of PR stunts, a lot of former stars will do just about anything to step back in the limelight again. Fabio swears that he won’t, however. He said that such decisions are made out of desperation for money, attention, or both. “There’s not enough money in this world to make me do something degrading,” Fabio says.

A Strict Diet

Fabio’s strict diet has been well known for many years. However, it didn’t begin due to concerns over having low body-fat or a great set of abs. Instead, he was just a picky eater as a boy. “My dad would take me to the best restaurants, and all I would eat was rice with olive oil,” he says. He never even tried pasta with tomato sauce until he was 14!

Victim Of A Crime

Not long ago, a rash of break-ins started happening at celebrity homes in Los Angeles. Fabio said that thieves took over $200,000 in jewelry, gold coins, and other goods when they crashed his pad. Other victims of burglaries around the same time include Nicki Minaj and actresses Emmy Rossum and Jaime Pressley.

Never Give Up On A Friend

Fabio proved that he never gives up on a friend not long ago with screenwriter Hoyt Richards found himself in hot water. Richards was involved in a cult and gave up all his worldly possessions as a result. Fabio tried to get him away but it didn’t work. Finally, Richards was ready to get away from the cult and Fabio helped him, letting him stay at his place for a year and a half!

Fabio The Author?

Fabio had already sold millions of romance novels just by appearing on their covers, so he eventually figured he might as well get into the action as an author. Well, sort of. He had a ghostwriter, though his name appears in big letters on the cover of all his books. Fabio doesn’t mind admitting that he didn’t actually write the romance novels himself.

Not Just A Picky Eater

Fabio is not just picky when it comes to dinner time, but when it has to do with the ladies, too. Although he admits that he “always got action” during his years in the limelight, he never spent time with a woman that didn’t interest him beyond just looks. “To be turned on, I have to have something more than looks,” he said.

Fabio Believes In Love

Although it would seem that Fabio is the quintessential playboy, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t believe in commitment. If he finds the right woman, he seems open to settling down. He said he wants “somebody who’s beautiful inside and out, especially on the inside because in time looks vanish, so you have to be deeper than that.”

Always Smiling

You rarely see Fabio without a smile on his face, and it turns out that his happy-go-lucky attitude is a big part of his personal philosophy. “A lot of people in Hollywood, celebrities, they take themselves too seriously,” Fabio said. “I want to say, ‘Come on guys, loosen up! Have fun with life.’”

It’s All About The Protein

If you want the kind of muscle mass Fabio has without sacrificing your abs, you’ve got to pack in the lean protein sources. Fabio likes to eat oatmeal and an egg white omelet with spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, and mushrooms each day. He’ll eat fresh fish and veggies for lunch and a different type of fish and veggies for dinner.

Unfairly Typecast?

Fabio was already a huge star when he started pursuing an acting career with seriousness. Unfortunately, his look was so unmistakable that he had a hard time getting any roles that would challenge him. Instead, he often ended up playing himself in shows like The Bold and the Beautiful and movies.

Wait…It’s Not Butter?

Fabio has long recognized the importance of building long business relationships. That has never been more clear than with his promotional relationship for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, which he has been a spokesperson for during the last two and a half decades! One unforgettable commercial featured Fabio breaking out of a butter sculpture of his likeness.

Old-Fashioned Guy

You’d think that Fabio would be like other models and actors, spending all kinds of time keeping his social media accounts updated. However, Fabio isn’t a huge fan of social media. He said that he understands that models today use it as a platform, but he’s established enough that he doesn’t need it. Besides, he prefers old-fashioned modes of communication.

Happiness Begins Within

Although many models get a bad rep for being a little shallow, Fabio likes to share his philophies with whoever will listen. He believes that the first step to being truly happy is being happy with yourself. “When you’re happy with yourself, you have to find another person who is happy with herself so you can share your happiness,” Fabio said.

Not Much Of A Sweetheart

Although his many fans would say he’s quite a sweetheart, when it comes to sweet treats, Fabio decides to pass. It isn’t that he’s being strict about his diet; he just really doesn’t enjoy sweet things. Even as a child, he would politely decline cake at his friends’ birthday parties, much to their mothers’ bemusement.

Trying Something Different

Many of Fabio’s fans know that he lost his sister, Christina, to ovarian cancer in 2013 when she was just 48. Unfortunately, Fabio also had to deal with criticism in the media at the time who had an issue with the treatment methods Christina used. She was a patient at the Burzynski Clinic, which uses treatment methods not approved by the FDA. While the treatment didn’t save her, Fabio said she showed marked improvement to her quality of life during her later days.

Fabio’s Fat Wallet

Fabio has always kept busy in modeling, acting, and other pursuits, so it’s not a surprise that he’s amassed an impressive net worth over the last few decades. His net worth has been measured at $15 million. He’s certainly comfortable enough that he doesn’t have to take any modeling or acting jobs that he isn’t interested in.

Fabio’s Famous Hair

It would seem that Fabio is a big fan of the mantra, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” After all, he’s kept his hair mostly the same for about thirty years now. He’s certainly known for his flowing locks, and he probably knows that his fans would be disappointed if he decided to go with a shorter haircut.

A Female Touch

We all know that Fabio is easy to spot on a romance novel’s cover, but what about the women that would appear with him? It turns out that one woman tended to appear on covers with him more than anyone, and that was Lianna Loggins, who was on hundreds of covers. She would go on to act, appearing in such productions as Witches of East End.

Staying Relevant

Fabio’s great sense of humor, self-awareness, and ability to select good opportunities has helped him stay relevant long after he stopped appearing on romance novel covers. In 2006, for instance, he appeared on a Nationwide commercial for the Super Bowl that was the talk of the game and the most downloaded video after the contest was over.

Serious About Relaxing

Just because Fabio is intensely motivated doesn’t mean he won’t unwind when he gets the chance. In fact, one of his favorite things is his home entertainment system, the centerpiece of which is a 15′ by 7′ projector screen. Fabio revealed that he even assembled and installed it all himself.

Fabio’s First Cover

If you’re looking for a collector’s item, try to track down Johanna Lindsey’s 1987 novel Hearts Aflame. It’s notable for being the first book cover that Fabio ever appeared on. The book was a #3 New York Times bestseller and has been translated and printed in six different languages!

Conservative Guy

Although many celebrities avoid talking about politics for fear of alienating fans, Fabio doesn’t really shy away from discussing his beliefs. He has spoken out in favor of the right to own guns in the U.S. and has also shown support of police in the wake of controversial shootings throughout the country.

Becoming A Citizen

Fabio has a lot of good feelings about America, which is the country where he was able to build his life and fortune. In 2016, he took the step to become a U.S. citizen. He took his oath with 6,000 other new citizens and even said that while he wouldn’t go to war for Europe or Italy, he would defend the U.S. with his life.

Very Thankful

When it comes to his appreciation for the U.S., Fabio has been very outspoken. He called becoming a citizen “the biggest honor I have ever had in my entire life.” He earned his citizenship just a day after his 57th birthday, saying that his U.S. citizenship was “the best birthday present I got in my life.”

Following Arnold’s Footsteps?

With his outspoken nature and new citizenship, many wondered whether Fabio would follow in the footsteps of fellow immigrant Arnold Schwarzenegger and run for public office. However, while he refused to close the door on the possibility, Fabio said that the people are the most important thing to him, and those priorities don’t always lend themselves to a political career.

Dishing The Dirt

Although Fabio doesn’t really like to kiss and tell, he has shared his opinion on some pretty notable celebrities. He said that Naomi Campbell was a very rude individual, but when asked about actress Andie MacDowell, he said that he was set up on a date with her and she was “a beautiful person,” though sadly not his type.

Fabio’s Workout Secrets

Although you might think that Fabio’s workout is a pretty monotonous affair that includes your typical cardio sessions and weight training, that’s not completely true. Sure, he does hit the weights and does some running and stationary bike, but he also likes to do unconventional workouts, such as dirt bike riding. He said that you can lose about a pound per hour while racing.

Breaking The Rules

Fabio was a bit of a troublemaker during his childhood. He would regularly get in trouble at school and break rules at home, too. However, there were some rules that he would never break. For instance, he would never do drugs or even drink alcohol. A friend’s overdose while Fabio was a teenager scared him away from the possibility of ever partaking in such activities.

Testosterone Overload

Fabio presents himself as the quintessential gentleman, but he can be just as subject to a temper flare-up as anyone else. For instance, in 2007 a misunderstanding between Fabio and actor George Clooney almost resulted in a fistfight. Clooney thought Fabio was taking pictures of him and flipped off Fabio’s table, and Fabio said he and his dinner-mates were only taking photos of each other. He confronted Clooney and angry words were exchanged.

Staying Active

Fabio doesn’t seem like the kind of person who will ever truly retire. He continues to appear in commercials and act when he gets the opportunity, as in the Sharknado films. He also keeps up with his workouts and diet as he’s so used to that lifestyle that it would be hard not to adhere to it now.

Priceless Hair Tips

If you’re going to look for hair tips, you can do a lot worse than asking Fabio what has worked for him. Fabio credits his high-protein diet and use of all-natural shampoo with much of his hair’s quality. He also said that he does not use conditioner and never uses blow dryers, either, which keeps his hair healthy.

Dazed And Confused

Fabio is a handsome, smooth guy, but that doesn’t mean he is never involved in embarrassing situations. One particularly memorable event occurred when he attended Busch Gardens to commemorate the opening of the Apollo’s Chariot ride. He sat in the front row and during the ride, a goose flew into his face! He and several other riders were spattered with blood, but Fabio definitely got the worst of it.

About Us

Greeningz was started in order
to bring two of our favorite topics together - Eco
Friendliness and entertainment. We work hard to
bring you all relevant updates about your favorite
entertainment niches and eco friendly stories. We
encourage you to share and take part in our
community.